'Beautiful: The Carole King Musical' to Open on Broadway in 2014

March 16, 2013 03:03:09 GMT

An excited Carole King says in a statement, 'Now that our songs have merged with a Broadway show, we've come full circle.'

Photo credit: DJDM/WENN

A musical about the life and career of Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Carole King plans to start viewing on Broadway in spring 2014. "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" will include hits written by King and his former husband Gerry Goffin, as well as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Produced by Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the musical is set to feature a book by Academy Award nominee Douglas McGrath, who once worked with Woody Allen on the screenplay for "Bullets Over Broadway". The author has also penned "Infamous" and "Emma".

Previously named "Natural Woman" after one of King's autobiographies, the musical will reportedly be directed by Marc Bruni ("Pipe Dream", "Ordinary Days", "Old Jews Telling Jokes"). Before the spring premiere, it's scheduled for a pre-Broadway engagement later this fall.

Born Carol Klein, King worked her way into the record business while she was only a teenager. In her 20s when she met the man of her dreams and married him, she has already had a successful career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock 'n' roll. She has won four Grammy Awards and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

"What's so great about this for me is that musicals were a major influence on my songwriting," she said in a statement. "In fact, when Gerry and I first met, we made a bargain that I would write music for the Broadway show he wanted to write if he wrote lyrics for my rock 'n' roll songs. The songs took off, and the show idea never came to fruition. Now that our songs have merged with a Broadway show, we've come full circle."